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Panther Prints

A black panther is a black (melanistic) color variant of one of several species of larger cat which are often known by the term panther. Panther in North America is most commonly used for the cougar (genus Puma), in Latin America it is most often used to mean a jaguar and elsewhere in the world it usually refers to the leopard (both genus Panthera). Panthers are not necessarily black, but may also be normally colored for the species (tawny or spotted), or white. They are the namesake for the Black Panther Party.

Confusion may arise from the distinction between the genus Panthera and the genus Leopardus. Originally, the relatively long-tailed species were called panthers (genus Panthera, which includes the leopard) and others were called leopards (genus Leopardus, which, perhaps confusingly, did not include the leopard.) All these species are now included in the genus Panthera, which therefore covers species such as lions and tigers as well as panthers.

Melanism is most common in the jaguar (Panthera onca), where it is carried by a dominant allele, and the leopard (Panthera pardus), where it is due to a recessive allele. Close examination of one of these black cats will show that the typical markings are still there but are hidden by the excess black pigment melanin, giving an effect similar to that of printed silk. Melanistic and nonmelanistic individuals can be littermates. In those species that hunt mainly at night, the condition is not detrimental. Albino or leucistic individuals of the same three species are known as white panthers.

It is thought that melanism may confer a selective advantage under certain conditions since it is more common in regions of dense forest, where light levels are lower. Recent, preliminary studies also suggest that melanism might be linked to beneficial mutations in the immune system.

Melanistic leopards are the most common form of black panther in captivity and they have been selectively bred for decades in the zoo and exotic pet trades. Black leopards are smaller and more lightly built than normally-pigmented individuals. Skin color is a mixture of blue, black, gray, and purple with rosettes.

It is a myth that black leopards are often rejected by their mothers at an early age because of their color. In actuality, poor temperament has been bred into the captive strains as a side-effect of inbreeding and it is this poor temperament that leads to problems of maternal care in captivity. According to Funk and Wagnalls' Wildlife Encyclopedia, captive black leopards are less fertile than normal leopards, with average litter sizes of 1.8 and 2.1, respectively. This is likely due to inbreeding depression.